pismorat
1/2 ton status
I have been looking into stainless steel braided brakelines for the front of my truck to replace the original rubber lines. They are quite pricy, but is it worth the cost in stopping power? /forums/images/graemlins/truck.gif
CK5
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Stainless steel brakelines worth it??
- Thread starter pismorat
- Start date
pauly383
Daddy383
I like mine. They will not swell like rubber type hoses. More even pressure I think also. Should last a long time. For peace of mind I'd do it. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
Definantly worth it! You need different lines anyway if you go taller than 4". They don't swell and are plenty long, rubber brake line limiting straps are a bad thing. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
The stainless steel lines look much nicer also instead of the old faded rubber lines.
The stainless steel lines look much nicer also instead of the old faded rubber lines.
Hossbaby50
3/4 ton status
Don't do it. Get some rubber extended lines and call it good. They are cheaper and better. I bought the expensive 6" extended stainless lines and found out the hard way they are trash.
I bought a set of the extended Super Lift lines (I am pretty sure that is who they were) and had them installed by a professional mechanic. They were great until one night I was headed home late and needed to stop fast for a stoplight. One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame, I lost all brake pressure and went threw a red light at 25-30 mph. If it wouldn't have been midnight I might have been t-boned or nailed someone as I went threw.
I had no emergency brake which is my fault, but they wouldn't have helped anyway. I took the lines off and replaced them with long rubber lines from Napa about 2 years ago and haven't had a problem since. I had the stainless lines warrantied and then got rid of them and still made like $10 over the cost of the rubber.
Don't trust your life to stainless lines. I won't do it again. I got lucky and made it threw unhurt but it could have been really bad.
Harley
I bought a set of the extended Super Lift lines (I am pretty sure that is who they were) and had them installed by a professional mechanic. They were great until one night I was headed home late and needed to stop fast for a stoplight. One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame, I lost all brake pressure and went threw a red light at 25-30 mph. If it wouldn't have been midnight I might have been t-boned or nailed someone as I went threw.
I had no emergency brake which is my fault, but they wouldn't have helped anyway. I took the lines off and replaced them with long rubber lines from Napa about 2 years ago and haven't had a problem since. I had the stainless lines warrantied and then got rid of them and still made like $10 over the cost of the rubber.
Don't trust your life to stainless lines. I won't do it again. I got lucky and made it threw unhurt but it could have been really bad.
Harley
bigyellowjimmy
1/2 ton status
I was dissappointed with the quality of the SS braided lines as well. Also my rear SS brake line was the same length as my stock one so I had to make a bracket to raise it for length. The SS front ones were longer than stock though /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif I noticed no difference in pedal going from 30 yr old rubber lines to SS Pro Comps......they do look nice though
Haven't had problems with mine and they rub against my tires at times. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
Braided SS hose does not swell under pressure like the stock fabric braid hoses do. So your pedal feel will get better since you'll be loosing some of the mushiness.
[ QUOTE ]
Don't do it. Get some rubber extended lines and call it good. They are cheaper and better. I bought the expensive 6" extended stainless lines ...... One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame
[/ QUOTE ]
All of the ready-made SS hoses I've seen suffer from a dangerous weak spot. Sounds like you found it. Right btwn the crimped-on ferrule over the braid and the hose end itself is extremely tiny. Would not take much of a pull to break that small diameter tube (fits INSIDE the SS hose) and cause a calamity.
The cure is to make your own. The screw together fittings do not have this small section and are much more robust parts. All of the hose manufacturer's publish how to make up hoses, just follow the directions. It is not hard to make the hoses, but you will very likely puncture the ends of your fingers. Just know that going in and move on. When you order the parts, order a spare of each type of hose end and put them in your spares box. That way you can also make field repairs should the bizarre happen.
[ QUOTE ]
Don't do it. Get some rubber extended lines and call it good. They are cheaper and better. I bought the expensive 6" extended stainless lines ...... One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame
[/ QUOTE ]
All of the ready-made SS hoses I've seen suffer from a dangerous weak spot. Sounds like you found it. Right btwn the crimped-on ferrule over the braid and the hose end itself is extremely tiny. Would not take much of a pull to break that small diameter tube (fits INSIDE the SS hose) and cause a calamity.
The cure is to make your own. The screw together fittings do not have this small section and are much more robust parts. All of the hose manufacturer's publish how to make up hoses, just follow the directions. It is not hard to make the hoses, but you will very likely puncture the ends of your fingers. Just know that going in and move on. When you order the parts, order a spare of each type of hose end and put them in your spares box. That way you can also make field repairs should the bizarre happen.
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
Or just buy rubber hoses at the auto parts store that are DOT approved, safe, legal, and cheaper than that and call it done.
55Willy
3/4 ton status
I have the lines from Superlift that are made for a 12" lift, rear is plenty long once I move the bracket and the fronts I'm moving the lines to come out the bottom of the frame to get the line away from the shocks. with the fords my fronts will be pretty close to the right length. theres no rubber line out there without hooking two together to reach my fronts,LOL
84_Chevy_K10
Banned
Not for me either, but I'd rather use steel line to extend it if necessary than have a stainless line.
55Willy
3/4 ton status
If I can get my outer spring tabs on my front bumper I'll flex the thing out tomorrow with the cherry picker. /forums/images/graemlins/woot.gif
any guesses on front height? (center of hub to ground)
then I'll do the rear also hub to ground.(need to bolt rear bumper on to keep the frame from bowing out.
any guesses on front height? (center of hub to ground)
then I'll do the rear also hub to ground.(need to bolt rear bumper on to keep the frame from bowing out.
MR4WD
1/2 ton status
The real problem with stainless hoses is that they don't flex the same. I've installed probably over a dozen sets on different vehicles, but over time they all break off where the stainless ends and the steel fitting starts. The cycling of the suspension causes them to wear at this point. I just installed a 26" rubber hose and two 8" rubber hoses on my rear braking system for less than half the price of a single 26" stainless hose.
That whole sponginess issue is a joke as well, since when you're making the leap from 10 bolts to a Dana 60 and 3/4 ton 10 bolt calipers in the rear, the area of the pistons almost triples. To get rid of that spongey feeling, you have to upgrade your master cylinder. Furthermore, all 4 wheel disc braked vehicles run quite a bit of rubber hose and don't have issues with soft brake pedals.
If abrasion is your concern, run the hoses in an area that they won't get snagged. You're running a false sense of security...
That whole sponginess issue is a joke as well, since when you're making the leap from 10 bolts to a Dana 60 and 3/4 ton 10 bolt calipers in the rear, the area of the pistons almost triples. To get rid of that spongey feeling, you have to upgrade your master cylinder. Furthermore, all 4 wheel disc braked vehicles run quite a bit of rubber hose and don't have issues with soft brake pedals.
If abrasion is your concern, run the hoses in an area that they won't get snagged. You're running a false sense of security...
well eveyone one said somthing different, so I gonna say what I think... when I got mine I ordered the fronts from skyjacker, I have been very impressed with the quality and they even whap them whith clear rubber OVER the stainless to really add to the quality, for the rear is where I screwed up I ordered a superlift and I would not even sell it to someone for $2 because I would feel like im ripping them off the threads went cut right, no rubber out side of the sainless, and it was just flat out junk the part about the thread being screwed up is what scared me the most... and I have since then heard bad things about superlift lines, but nothing ever bad about skyjacker
supersize75k5
OrganDonorRacing.com
[ QUOTE ]
Braided SS hose does not swell under pressure like the stock fabric braid hoses do. So your pedal feel will get better since you'll be loosing some of the mushiness.
[ QUOTE ]
Don't do it. Get some rubber extended lines and call it good. They are cheaper and better. I bought the expensive 6" extended stainless lines ...... One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame
[/ QUOTE ]
All of the ready-made SS hoses I've seen suffer from a dangerous weak spot. Sounds like you found it. Right btwn the crimped-on ferrule over the braid and the hose end itself is extremely tiny. Would not take much of a pull to break that small diameter tube (fits INSIDE the SS hose) and cause a calamity.
The cure is to make your own. The screw together fittings do not have this small section and are much more robust parts. All of the hose manufacturer's publish how to make up hoses, just follow the directions. It is not hard to make the hoses, but you will very likely puncture the ends of your fingers. Just know that going in and move on. When you order the parts, order a spare of each type of hose end and put them in your spares box. That way you can also make field repairs should the bizarre happen.
[/ QUOTE ]
I blew a pro comp line at the same place, as have a few others I know. I went down to Lopers, a local race shope and used fittings with the screw on type, total cost was about 50 bucks for two 39 inch brake lines /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
They are also already crimmped and have the pieces in many line sizes /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
plus I can carry a spare line and change it in less than a minute using just a wrench and dont have to mess with trying to remove a fitting off the frame /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
Braided SS hose does not swell under pressure like the stock fabric braid hoses do. So your pedal feel will get better since you'll be loosing some of the mushiness.
[ QUOTE ]
Don't do it. Get some rubber extended lines and call it good. They are cheaper and better. I bought the expensive 6" extended stainless lines ...... One of the lines blew out at the fitting at the frame
[/ QUOTE ]
All of the ready-made SS hoses I've seen suffer from a dangerous weak spot. Sounds like you found it. Right btwn the crimped-on ferrule over the braid and the hose end itself is extremely tiny. Would not take much of a pull to break that small diameter tube (fits INSIDE the SS hose) and cause a calamity.
The cure is to make your own. The screw together fittings do not have this small section and are much more robust parts. All of the hose manufacturer's publish how to make up hoses, just follow the directions. It is not hard to make the hoses, but you will very likely puncture the ends of your fingers. Just know that going in and move on. When you order the parts, order a spare of each type of hose end and put them in your spares box. That way you can also make field repairs should the bizarre happen.
[/ QUOTE ]
I blew a pro comp line at the same place, as have a few others I know. I went down to Lopers, a local race shope and used fittings with the screw on type, total cost was about 50 bucks for two 39 inch brake lines /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
They are also already crimmped and have the pieces in many line sizes /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
plus I can carry a spare line and change it in less than a minute using just a wrench and dont have to mess with trying to remove a fitting off the frame /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif
